Antiracism is a transformative concept that reorients and reenergizes the conversation about racism—and, even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. At its core, racism is a powerful system that creates false hierarchies of human value; its warped logic extends beyond race, from the way we regard people of different ethnicities or skin colors to the way we treat people of different sexes, gender identities, and body types. Racism intersects with class and culture and geography and even changes the way we see and value ourselves. In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of antiracist ideas—from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilities—that will help readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.

Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science with his own personal story of awakening to antiracism. This is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a just and equitable society.

Welcome Remarks and Introduction:
Heike Paul (Bavarian American Academy, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg)

Moderation and Talk:
Mirjam Zadoff (The Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism)

This event is part of the lecture series This is America. Reflections on a Divided Country. It is a collaboration between the Bavarian American Academy and the Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism. In this series, renowned intellectuals are invited to examine historical developments and discuss the current political and cultural state of affairs in the United States.


Photo: Ibram X. Kendi ©American University/Jeff Watts